The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Westwood, MA EIN: 20-6393550

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation is a private foundation based in Westwood, Massachusetts. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2024 filing lists 27 grants totaling $54,277.

Key facts about The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation

In short: The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation gave $54K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
20-6393550
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$54,277
Grants made (2024)
27
Average grant
$2,010
Median grant
$1,000
New grantees (estimate)
11% first-time grantees (3 of 27, 2024)
Total assets
$412,961
Primary geography
Massachusetts (76% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$413K

-21.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$54K

-38.9% YoY

Grant Count

27

-35.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

-5.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $25K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation open to new grantees?

11%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 3 of 27 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $833; repeat grants $2K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.

  • 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving fell 37% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 215% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s own stated mission is not available. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas that include housing insecurity, community support, education, health care, and conservation. For example, Circle of Hope says its mission is to provide clothing and hygiene essentials to people and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Focus on Tanzanian Communities describes its work as supporting education, health care, women’s empowerment, and sustainable community development in Tanzania. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation made 27 grants totaling $54,277. Grants ranged from $500 to $23,121, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants included $23,121 to Circle of Hope in Needham, Massachusetts; $5,000 to Jeff’s Place in Framingham, Massachusetts; and $3,000 to Focus on Tanzanian Communities in Watertown, Massachusetts. Other grants included $2,500 to St Benedict’s Prep and $2,000 each to Cape Cod Housing Assistance Corporation and Guide Dogs of America. The 2024 filing lists the grants as unrestricted.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation is based in Massachusetts. In 2024, Massachusetts organizations received 76% of grant dollars; recipients in Georgia received 6%, New Jersey 5%, Indiana 4%, and Washington, DC 3%.

Grant Distribution by State

16states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.

Cities

WestwoodBostonNeedhamJamaica PlainFalmouthHyannisNew YorkWashingtonAtlantaPortlandFraminghamGrotonLittle RockSherbornSylmarTauntonAlexandriaAmherstBelmontCarmel

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K27 grants2020 41 grants2021 40 grants2022 42 grants2023 27 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $54K (2024) to $89K (2023). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $54K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Circle of Hope: $23KCircle of Hope$23KJeff's Place: $5KJeff's Place$5KFocus on Tanzanian Communities: $3KFocus on Tanzanian Communities$3KSt Benedict's Prep: $3KSt Benedict's Prep$3KCape Cod Housing Assistance Corporation: $2KCape Cod Housing AssistanceCorporation$2KGuide Dogs of America: $2KGuide Dogs of America$2KFalmouth Service Center: $2KFalmouth Service Center$2KAmerican Legion: $1KAmerican Legion$1KDoctors Without Borders: $1KDoctors Without Borders$1KSt Judes Research Hospital: $1KSt Judes Research Hospital$1K

The largest 2024 recipient was Circle of Hope ($23K). Together the top 10 received $42K.

Grant Size Distribution

177 grants across all recorded years

177<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 177 grants of 177 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Circle of Hope Needham, MAUnrestricted$23,121
Jeff's Place Framingham, MAUnrestricted$5,000
Focus on Tanzanian Communities Watertown, MAUnrestricted$3,000
St Benedict's Prep Neward, NJUnrestricted$2,500
Cape Cod Housing Assistance Corporation Hyannis, MAUnrestricted$2,000
Guide Dogs of America Sylmar, GAUnrestricted$2,000
Falmouth Service Center Falmouth, MAUnrestricted$1,500
American Legion Indanapolis, INUnrestricted$1,200
Doctors Without Borders New York, NYUnrestricted$1,000
St Judes Research Hospital Memphis, TNUnrestricted$1,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2024 $412,961 $46,700 $62,716 $54,277
2023 $524,557 -$3,729 $97,082 $88,900
2022 $462,286 $14,469 $91,351 $83,450
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$50K$100K$150K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$412,961$524,557$462,286
Revenue$46,700$-3,729$14,469
Expenses$62,716$97,082$91,351
Qualifying Distributions$54,277$88,900$83,450
Net Investment Income$38,261$3,356$11,981
Distributable Amount$25,258$34,326$27,011

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Peter Donovan and Louise Donovan as trustees.

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Louise Donovan

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Peter Donovan

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 265 Far Reach Road, Westwood, MA 02090
Phone: (617) 556-1518

Frequently asked questions about The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation

How much does The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation give each year?

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation gave $54K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $89K across 42 grants.

What is The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's typical grant size?

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,010, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation that year got $833 on average.

Where does The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation give grants?

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Georgia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Needham, MA (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).

Does The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's largest grantees?

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Circle of Hope ($23,121), Jeff's Place ($5,000) and Focus on Tanzanian Communities ($3,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation?

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation reported $413K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $54K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $25K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation fund?

The foundation’s own stated mission is not available. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas that include housing insecurity, community support, education, health care, and conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's EIN?

The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6393550. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The John and Gertrude Donovan Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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